


you know I think your skin’s the perfect color, but it’s always your eyes that pull me under

by blafard



Series: and they were roommates [5]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Alternate Universe - Artists, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Roommates, artist!simon, its finally done !!!, lit student!Baz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-14 17:24:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20604524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blafard/pseuds/blafard
Summary: He liked this. This simple domesticity between them, the soft touches and deep kisses when they were all alone in their dorm.





	you know I think your skin’s the perfect color, but it’s always your eyes that pull me under

**Author's Note:**

> title from "sweet" by cigarettes after sex

The kiss they had shared in that studio all those weeks ago, had only been one of many.

And Simon found himself wanting to draw Baz after every single one. He wanted to put that soft flush that always coated his cheeks and the tips of his ears onto a canvas, to see it hang from walls around him and to see it whenever the other wasn't around.

But he was also selfish and wanted to keep all the small shifts in Baz's face, the way he pulled on his lower lip with his teeth after a particularly intense kiss, the way he always had that certain glint in his pale eyes when Simon gave him small kisses in quick succession or how he sometimes brushed his hair until it fell over his eyes and hid his face from view, showed how effected he truly was by all of it.

They were currently in their dorm, Baz leaning against the headboard, a thick book in his graceful hands and Simon was lying next to him on his bed, his arm slung around Baz's waist, while he fell in and out of sleep, whenever Baz began to brush long fingers through his curls.

He liked this. This simple domesticity between them, the soft touches and deep kisses when they were all alone in their dorm.

Baz buried his fingers in his bronze curls again, rubbed his thumb along the shell of his ear and then turned another page of the book.

"When will the gallery display your art?" the black haired man asked out of the blue, his eyes never straying from the tiny letters on the white page.

Simon opened his eyes again, rubbed a hand over Baz's hip and then slowly sat up to face Baz. "Three days from now," he replied, then grabbed the book and tugged at the edges until Baz looked up. He had a question in his eyes, but Simon chose to ignore it and kept tugging the book.

"Could you quit being a nuisance? I have to read that for class."

"You woke me up with your question, so pay attention to me," he whined. To empathise his point, Simon crawled closer, his legs now on the sides of Baz's jean clad legs.

Baz watched with barely concealed interest, as Simon hovered above him, his hands no longer gripping the book. Simon placed his hands on the cheeks of Baz, rubbed slow circles into his skin and then leaned even closer.

"I can think of a few ways to make this worth your while," he said, a terrible glint in his blue eyes Baz wanted to look away from but couldn't.

He chose to play along. Raising one eyebrow, he put the book down and asked, "Is that so?"

This time Simon didn't reply. The only thing he did was move closer and press his lips against Baz's in a slow kiss they would both get lost in.

* * *

"So, you're telling me that... you asked to draw Baz, like one of your _French girls_," that earned Micah a slap against the shoulder from Penny to which he merely rolled his eyes fondly, "and then you both fell in love?"

Simon hated how his face heated up, surely coating his cheeks in a hideous red that would expose him right away. Baz next to him looked as cool as ever, but if Simon was honest, he could spot a soft pink on the tips of Baz's ears and neck, which was adorable.

"...Yes? I mean, I guess Baz was into me before that--"

"You knew that?" the man in question asked, an incredulous expression on his face. Simon couldn't help but laugh at that, _because really? Baz thought he was subtle?_

"I didn't know _know_ right from the beginning of course, but after we spent some time together... it became quite obvious," he replied, then took Baz's hand in his own and pulled it up until he could press small kisses against his skin, which made Baz blush for real.

Penny watched everything in silence, but there was this quiet happiness radiating from her that confirmed Simon's belief that she was happy for him. And Baz too.

* * *

"You can't just put on a pullover and some faded jeans to the first time your art is displayed, Simon."

"Why not? It's my art and as an artist I think that I know very well--"

"_Don't_ finish that sentence, Snow," Baz interrupted. He, himself, was dressed in a very nice pair of black jeans and a white button down, beneath a soft grey cardigan that complimented his eyes quite nicely, if you asked Simon.

"We would be wearing almost the same damn thing!" the blond continued, but he knew that that wasn't very true.

"You want to wear stuff that looked like it should have been put into the trash in 2009, while I wear the latest brands, so don't you dare compare our clothes."

Baz rolled his eyes when he spotted the slight pout forming on Simon's lips and then promptly turned around to look through Simon's closet.

He hummed under his breath, occasionally shaking his head at another one of Simon's, often paint-stained, sweaters before grabbing a nice, slighter bigger baby blue shirt with white buttons at the front and some skinny jeans Simon had completely forgotten about.

"This will do," he said, then pushed the clothes into Simon's hands and watched expectedly for the blond to change.

"You want me to change... _in front of you?_"

Baz stared at him a few seconds, his face unchanging until he seemed to catch on and cough into his fist awkwardly.

"Well--"

"You could--"

They both stopped and then Simon couldn't hold back his laughter anymore.

Baz watched him lose his composure for a few more moments, before huffing and placing his hands over his eyes. "There. Are you happy now? Or should I turn around too?"

"No, you're good," Simon replied, then pulled his sweater over his head getting his glasses stuck in the process and slightly swinging his raised hands from side to side until he was able to get the darn thing off properly, "I _could_ have used your help for the sweater though so--"

Baz's hands fell away from his eyes again and he was promptly met with a very shirtless, very beautiful Simon Snow.

His eyes quickly swept over the seemingly endless amount of freckled skin that was dotted by moles on multiple occasions until Simon snapped his fingers to get his attention again. There was a small, almost shy smile on his face, when he said, "My eyes are up here, Pitch."

"I can see that," the other replied, so deadpan that Simon had to stifle a chuckle.

"Do you.. still require my help?"

A beat of silence.

"...I would like that."

* * *

To say that they were a little late, would be the _biggest_ lie of the century, but it wasn't like anyone expected them to be there on time anyways.

Penny merely rolled her eyes teasingly, when she spotted them trying to sneak in without attracting attention and didn't reprimand her boyfriend when he began to tease the two boys until they hurried off, mortified looks on their faces, when Micah mentioned the very bright and very red marks on Baz's neck.

* * *

Simon's art was displayed on a stark white wall, which made the art even more eyegrabbing.

It was strange for Baz to see himself like that, so full of emotions and open for everyone to see too, and even stranger when he watched all those people admire the art with a look of interest on their faces.

They didn't know Baz like that.

Neither did he himself if he was honest.

Simon was silent beside him, his fingers tangled with Baz's, as he watched the boy he slowly fell for, admire his work.

All the late nights alone in the studio were forgotten, when he saw the awed look on Baz's face. He looked different like that and Simon itched to draw him again, which was ridiculous since they literally stood in front of huge paintings with Baz as the subject, but the blond knew already that he would fill many more pages and canvases with Baz.

Simon couldn't be happier than right in that moment.

Baz swallowed thickly, when he turned towards the painting of himself in his mother's old office. He looked so mature and together in that painting. He no longer was the small boy that sat next to her chair and played while she worked.

Baz didn't know how to process that. He was not used to be reminded of his mother without feeling a crushing weight atop his chest that wanted to drown him.

"Do you like it?" Simon asked after a few minutes of silent staring, the chatter and quiet music of a live band finally registering again. He rubbed his thumb slowly over Simon's knuckles, a motion that grounded him more than he would like to admit and then slowly nodded.

"Yes, I... think I do."

And that was enough for Simon to beam like the sun.

* * *

It was strange how everything could change in a matter of months, in a matter of weeks really.

Only three months ago, Simon couldn't have imagined to lie in bed next to Baz, the latter softly snoring in his sleep, his bare skin paler than usually, as the moon hit him in just the right angle to make Simon reach for a blank paper and put lines onto it.

He looked almost angelic with his hair framing his head like a dark halo, which made the blond almost laugh.

_When did he become so sappy?_

Simon pushed his glasses up his nose again, traced with very light fingertips over Baz's spine until he reached the small of his back, pulled the soft blanket over the other's naked thighs and ass and then grabbed his pencil.

He bit his lower lip, when he caught a glimpse of red on Baz's neck, evidence of the night they've spent together.

Soon, he had to pry his eyes away from Baz's sleeping form and focussed on the sketch in his lap, barely noticed the time slip away, until Baz stirred beside him.

A soft hand on his knee broke his focus and he smiled at the sleepy man beside him, until Baz pulled at the paper and squinted to see something in the dim light.

"You really decided to _draw_, instead of sleeping after the night we've had?" he asked, his voice deeper and quieter than usually. Simon shrugged in response, took the paper from Baz's hands and placed it onto his nightstand, where he was met by his clock with a glaring _4 AM_ on the display.

He pulled the blanket a little higher until he was lying down again, this time on his side, which resulted in Baz mirroring him, until Baz could almost count every single lash of Simon.

Simon slowly placed his hand over Baz's hip, the skin soft and warm beneath his hand and pulled the other even closer.

"I could never pass up a chance to draw you," he murmured. Outside he could hear some students yell and laugh, a few cars passed by but it was quiet between them.

"That's what brought us together in the first place, isn't it?"

Simon didn't receive an answer to his question, and really, he didn't need it, when Baz tucked his head underneath Simon's chin and wrapped strong arms around his waist.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> that's it! the series is done. I don't know why it took so long to post this, but here it is! 
> 
> thank u all for reading, commenting and leaving kudos!! I'm so glad that so many ppl gave this series (and me) a chance <3<3
> 
> I hope you guys liked it and I'd really appreciate kudos & comments ♡


End file.
